Patient bed and transfer stretcher



May 23, 1961 A. E. F. JOHNSON PATIENT BED AND TRANSFER STRETCHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 23, 1957 lNVENT 0R May 23, 1961 A. E. F. JOHNSON PATIENT BED AND TRANSFER STRETCHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 23, 1957 INVENTORI zfi By/g ATTOk/VEVS.

'Axel E. F. Johnson, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to American Hospital Supply Corporation, Evanston, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 23, 1957, Ser- No. 691,828

3 Claims. (Cl. 5-86) This invention relates to a patient bed and transfer stretcher, and is particularly useful in the treatment of patients while on the bed and also for transferring pa- 1talents from the bed or stretcher onto a regular hospital An object of the invention is to provide a bed and stretcher device in which movement of the bed or stretcher can be accomplished in many directions while at the same time employing a highly simplified structure having a minimum of parts. A further object is to provide such a structure in which tilting of the bed, raising of the bed, and movement of the struuture to bring about a Trendelenburg or a reverse Trendelenburg position can be accomplished, with each of the operations accomplished independently of the other movements or simultaneously therewith. A still further object is to provide a bed and support structure therefor in a unique arrangement by which a Trendelenburg or a reverse Trendelenburg position can be accomplished while at the same time effecting a lateral tilting of the bed or stretcher or the raising of the bed or stretcher. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown, in an illustrative embodiment, by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of apparatus embodying my invention, positions of the apparatus being indicated in dotted lines; Fig. 2, a detail sectional view of the front lower portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, an enlarged sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 3-3 of Fig. l, the bed or stretcher being shown in tilted position to engage a regular hospital bed for the transfer of a patient.

In the illustration given, I provide a main frame or carriage indicated by the letter A, the frame being supported upon wheels 10. The perimetric or oval frame is provided along its sides with depending straps 11 which support between them a pivot shaft 12.

Pivotally mounted upon the pivot shaft 12 is a generally elliptical or oval base member 13 providing, with other members, a vertical standard generally in the shape of a rectangle or trapezoid when viewed from the side as in Figure l. The pivotal standard or frame, which is designated generally by the letter B, comprises the lower frame member 13 which is pivotally mounted upon the shaft 12, the vertically-extending legs 14 which telescopically engage the depending legs 15, as shown best in Fig. l, and a top, generally horizontal beam or tube 16. All of these members provide a generally vertical rectangular frame which pivots upon the shaft 12. The pivot 12 may be located at either end of the structure B, but I prefer to have the pivot slightly off-center, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to effect a fairly rapid but not too rapid Trendelenburg position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

To support the vertical standard B and to move it in a vertical direction, I equip one end of the member =13 with a pivotally-mounted nut 17 adapted to receive an United States Patent Patented May 23, 1961 actuating threaded shaft 18. The other end of the threaded shaft passes through a nut 19 pivotally mounted upon a strap 20 carried by the frame A, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, the shaft 18 preferably being equipped with a thrust bearing 21. For actuating the shaft 18, I provide a handle emmber 22. With this structure, the frame B may be swung to the positions indicated in solid and dotted lines in Fig. 1, giving thus a double Trendelenburg position.

I provide independent means for raising the upper telescoping legs 15, and such means is shown best in Fig. 1. A shaft 23, equipped at each end with a handle member 24, extends through the tube 16 and is rotatably supported therein and provided preferably at each end with a gear member 25. The gear 25 meshes with a gear carried by a threaded shaft 26, and the shaft 26 extends through a threaded fixed nut 27 secured within each leg 15. Thus, when the shaft 23 is rotated, the upper sleeves or legs 15 are raised and lowered according to the direction of movement of shaft 23.

Above the rectangular standard B is supported a bed or stretcher C. The stretcher C is supported in such a manner that it may be tilted laterally so as to provide a means for transferring a patient from the stretcher to a bed, or vice versa. In transferring the patient from the stretcher to a bed, a tilting position, as shown in Fig. 3, is preferred. When the patient is to be transferred from the bed to the stretcher, the bed C may be lowered to make the transfer easier. Any suitable means for supporting the bed C and for tilting it may be employed. In the illustration given, I provide the upper leg or sleeve 15 with a laterally-extending mast or bar 27a, as shown best in Fig. 3. Pivotally mounted upon the ends of the bar 27a at each end of the bed are a pair of links 28 and 29. The links 28 and 29 are pivotally connected at their upper ends to the bed C. To rigidify the links and to effect their movement, I provide means connecting the frame B with one of the links. The frame is provided with a nut 30 which is pivotally carried by plates 30a and which receives a threaded shaft 31 equipped at either end with a handle 32. The link 29 is provided with a pivotally-mounted nut 33 receiving the threaded shaft 31, and the shaft is preferably provided with a thrust bearing 34. As shown in the drawings, nut 33 is pivotally carried by a horizontal bar 33a secured to links 29 intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof. Upon the operation of either of the wheels 32, shaft 31 is rotated, engaging simultaneously the nut 30 of the frame B and the nut 33 of the link 29 so as to move the links to the various positions shown in solid and dotted lines in Fig. 3.

As shown in Figure 3, links 28 and 29 are not parallel but, instead, diverge slightly in an upward direction.- Be cause of this divergence, bed C will assume a horizontal position only when it is centered, with respect to lateral movement, directly above frame or standard B. As wheel 32 is manipulated to shift the bed laterally, one of the links 28 or 29 will assume a more nearly upright condition than the other and the bed will tip towards one side or the other, depending upon the direction of wheel rotation.

When the links are swung to the-position shown in solid lines, the bed C is lowered into engagement with the mattress 35 of the ordinary hospital bed 36 so that a solid fixed locking of the stretcher and the bed is accomplished. On the other hand, when the patient is to be transferred to a bed on the other side, the bed C may be swung to the position shown in dotted lines and, of course, when the patient is being moved from room to room, the shaft 31 is manipulated to bring the to their most nearly upright positions, maintaining the bed C in a horizontal plane.

7 Operation In the operation of the structure, the patient may be transferred to the stretcher C and for. this purpose a tiltingfpositionof the bed C with respect to the usual hospital bed is' brought about. After the. transfer and after the bed or stretcher is brought to a horizontalposition, either of two T rendelenburg positions may be brought about by manipulation of the wheel 22, the parts beingswung upon pivot 12 to the positions indicated in solid and dotted lines-in Fig. 1. -When it is desired to raise the'bed, this is accomplished by moving the wheels 24 at either end-of the device, and it will be noted that the -wheels.22 and 24 at one end of the device. are in alignment so that the same operator can very'rapidly manipulate both of these wheels. For tilting the bed'C, the operator may stand on-either side and operate one of the Wheels. 32 was to move the traveling nut 33 on shaft 33a and link 29 to" effect the movements indicated in solid and dotted lines in Fig. 3.

In all of the foregoing operations, it will be, noted that the movements in the different directions are accomplished independently while, at the same time, the various control wheels may be operated simultaneously or concurrently. The employment of the generally rectan- ..-gular standard, .tiltably mounted upon the main frame A,

enables the various operations to be employed with a minimum of parts, thus providing open areas below the bed through which there is ready access to the patient carried by the bed or stretcher.

While, in the foregoing specification, I have set forth specific structure in considerable detail, it will be understood that such detailsof structure may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a patient bed device, a mobile carriage equipped with a transverse pivot shaft, a horizontally elongated frame mounted upon said pivot shaft for longitudinal tilting movement along a vertical plane, means adjustably connecting one end portion of said frame to said carriage, said frame being provided with telescoping upper and lower vertical legs, means for raising and lowering the upper legs, a bed disposed above said frame and extending longitudinally thereof, and pairs of transverselyspaced links extending between and being pivotally connected to-said upper legs and said bed, said links of each pair being transversely swingable with reference to said bed and frame and diverging upwardly at substantially equal angles with reference to the plane of movement of said frame when said bed is horizontally disposed, and means carried by said frame and operatively associated with said links for pivoting said links and for simultaneously tipping and laterally shifting said bed to either side of said carriage, said last-mentioned means comprising a .4 threaded handle-equipped transverse shaft rotatablytcarried by said frame and a nut pivotally carried by one of said links and threadedly receiving said shaft.

2. In a patient bed device, a mobile carriage, a frame mounted upon said carriage for pivotal movement along a vertical plane and about :a transverse pivot axis, adjustment means connected to said frame and saidcarriage for controlling the angular position ofsaid frame, an elongated .bed disposed ahovesaidframe; atleastone pair of upstanding transversely-spaced links extending between and being pivotally connected to said bed and frame, said links being transversely swingable with reference to said bed and frame and diverging upwardly at equal angles with reference to the'vertical longitudinal mid plane of the bed when said bed is horizontally disposed, and means for pivoting said links for simultaneously tipping and laterally shifting said bed to either side of said carriage, saidla'st-mentio'ned means comprising a threaded handle-equipped transverse shaft rotatably carried by said frame, and a nut pivotally carried by one of said links and threadedly receiving said shaft.

3. In a patient bed device, an elongated horizontal carriage'equipped with wheels, a frame extending the'vertical longitudinal mid plane of said carriage, a bed spaced above said frame and extending longitudinally thereof, pairs of upstanding transversely-spaced links connecting said bed and frame, said links of each pair diverging upwardly at equal angles with reference to the'longitudinal mid plane of said carriage when said bed is horizontally disposed, a threaded transverse shaft rotatably carried by said frame and operatively associated with at least one of said links forpivoting said links laterally whensaid shaft is rotated, said frame being pivotally mounted upon said carriage for longitudinal pivotal movement about a transverse pivotaxis and along the carriages longitudinal vertical mid plane.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,383,545 Johnston July 5, 1921 1,472,484 Mayer Oct. v30, :1923 1,644,043 Tiedemann Oct. 4, 1927 2,208,410 Carter July 16, 1940 2,234,483 Sutton Mar. 11, 1941 2,542,963 Knox Feb. 20, .1951 2,610,330 Sutton Sept. 16, 1952 2,672,620 Gross -Mar. 23, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 2,477 Great Britain of 1911 333,691 Germany Mar. 3, .1921 58,184 Sweden. Jan. 27, 1925 100,933 Sweden Feb. 25, 1941 131,194 Australia Jan. 28, .1949 

